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Thanks for the info. I'd rather wait for a fair shot at a true trophy as opposed to settling for a big buck.

I have 5 deer bonus points and about 20 for elk. I'll try to cash in my elk bonus points at the Book Cliffs this year and keep accumulating buck deer bonus points until I have a decent shot at the Henrys. I do not know how many good hunting years I have left, so I want a fair shot at a legitimate 360 or better bull and a 30" 4x4 buck.

I've hunted Utah for decades. My dad hunted Utah before me. I have listened to the then experienced hunters talk of legendary bucks in Utah. I have seen some huge bucks in Utah, but most are small 4x4's and they go down from there. Years ago Utah committed to regaining its former fame, so I committed to hunting Utah.

I've hunted Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. I think Utah has enormous potential. A game warden told me that it's probable that minerals in Utah's soil stimulate huge antler growth. If you guys have driven through Red Canyon, which is adjacent to a limited entry area, you would have seen that there might be something to the mineral theory. And there are huge bucks in that area.

Where we hunt general season deer I have seen HUGE bulls. But it's limited entry. I knew a guy who hunted Monroe Mountain. He knew I wanted a fair shot at a trophy bull. He told me some two decades ago that he had seen HUGE bulls while deer hunting on Monroe.

BTW, I used to hunt western Wyoming, Region "L" I believe. I was there the year after the huge storm ('94, I believe) that killed many deer. While I was in a legendary area, deer were scarce. I was told that it was going to take years for the herd to recover. I might try again this year.

SansSouci, I'm gonna guess that with 5 points for deer it will be 30+ years before a Henrys tag is drawn on points since you are 16 point behind max for deer. It may be a totally different ballgame by then as far as both the draw system and the top units.

I'm also sitting on 20 elk points and 7 deer points. Deer is the tough one, because I doubt at 49 years old I'll catch the top 3 units so it's a matter of strategizing which unit to shoot for that I can draw before I'm 70.

Book Cliffs would be an absolute blast for elk. If you have 20 points you should draw. Take your time and enjoy that tag!